(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Music of the baryton will be showcased at the next concert on the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO)'s new chamber music series at Trinity Church in Princeton. The Valencia Baryton Project performs works for baryton trio by Joseph Haydn on Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 7:00pm.
The baryton is an ancient and little-known 17th- and 18th-Century string instrument, a cross between the viol da gamba and lirone, with 10 resonating and plucked strings down its back. The baryton gives the traditional string trio an entirely new dimension. The Project’s trio consists of Matthew Baker on baryton with violist Brett Walfish and cellist Ismar Gomes.
In addition to traditional trios by Haydn, the ensemble will also perform works by modern-day composers. Written specially for the Valencia Baryton Project, John Pickup’s Dragonslayer’s Lament (2023) and Steven Zink’s three-movement Baryton Trio No. 1 (2023) demonstrate the versatility of the instrument.
The Valencia Baryton Project was founded by Valencia-based barytonist Matthew Baker, one of only a handful of baryton performers in the world, with the vision of performing the nearly 160 works written by Franz Joseph Haydn for the baryton, as well as compositions by other composers, both modern and classical. At the heart of the repertoire is the traditional baryton trio—baryton, viola, and cello—for which Haydn wrote 123 works of outstanding beauty during his time as court composer for Prince Esterhazy of Austria.
General admission tickets for each of the four chamber concerts are now available for $45 per person. Youths 5-17 receive a 50% discount with an adult purchase. Visit the Princeton Symphony Orchestra website at princetonsymphony.org or call 609-497-0020.
Accessibility - The Princeton Symphony Orchestra is committed to ensuring all programming is accessible for everyone, working with venues such as Richardson Auditorium to provide needed services. Contact Mika Godbole for questions about available services at mgodbole@princetonsymphony.org or (609) 905-0931. Note: some services require at least two weeks’ notice to arrange.
The Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is a cultural centerpiece of the Princeton community and one of New Jersey’s finest music organizations, a position established through performances of beloved masterworks, innovative music by living composers, and an extensive network of educational programs offered to area students free of charge. Led by Edward T. Cone Music Director Rossen Milanov, the PSO presents orchestral, pops, and chamber music programs of the highest artistic quality, supported by lectures and related events that supplement the concert experience.
Its flagship summer program the Princeton Festival brings an array of performing arts and artists to Princeton during multiple weeks in June. Through PSO BRAVO!, the orchestra produces wide-reaching and impactful education programs in partnership with local schools and arts organizations that culminate in students attending a live orchestral performance. The PSO receives considerable support from the Princeton community and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, regularly garnering NJSCA’s highest honor. Recognition of engaging residencies and concerts has come from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the PSO’s commitment to new music has been acknowledged with an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and a Copland Fund Award. The only independent, professional orchestra to make its home in Princeton, the PSO performs at historic Richardson Auditorium on the campus of Princeton University.
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